 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Deadly foe: Due to its high demand and low cost, fentanyl has become increasingly accessible to most drug dealers, according to District Attorney Hillar Moore. The potent drug continues to cause the majority of fatal overdoses in Baton Rouge and is significantly more powerful than other drugs, with the possibility to kill even in small doses. This week, two people accused of dealing the drugs that led to a fatal overdose were charged with second-degree murder, and Baton Rouge police announced the largest fentanyl seizure in state history. Read more about efforts to combat the drug.
Better protection: A federal judge has ruled that a biological opinion for Gulf of Mexico drilling violated both the Endangered Species Act and Administrative Procedures Act, and that its failure to recognize the potential for damage caused by major oil spills was “arbitrary and capricious.” A Sierra Club attorney said “now the agency has a chance to get the biological opinion right and properly evaluate the devastating impact offshore drilling and exploration has on the Gulf’s protected endangered and threatened marine species." Read about the species potentially affected by the ruling.
Stirring creations: Can using a left-handed or right-handed spoon really make a difference? Charles Traxler thinks so. He creates the utensils and sells them at the Baton Rouge Arts Market downtown on the first Saturday of each month. Read about his special series of spoons. | 
